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Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh has begun taking steps to establish a new political party called Strong Egypt, he said on Thursday.

In a statement, Abouel Fotouh said running for the presidency was only the beginning. His goal is to lead a national political project that would capitalize on Egypt’s citizens, prestige, politics and economy to build a strong nation. Strong Egypt is a part of this goal, Abouel Fotouh said, and he would act as the representative for the party.

The party “seeks to perform its duty towards the [citizens] by providing them with security, and maintaining their dignity and humanity through justice without discrimination according to social class, geographical area, economic level or religious or political affiliations,” the statement said.

Abouel Fotouh said Strong Egypt would have economic policies favoring the poor, as the state has a duty to provide them with comprehensive human rights, and political policies that would empower citizens and increase their influence in political decisions as the real owners of power within the state.

The party would also defend marginalized people and would be dedicated to maintaining public and personal freedoms, Abouel Fotouh continued. Finally, the party would be committed to obtaining complete independence from foreign powers.

The statement said the party and its members “are not concerned with social classifications and their connotations, or with ideological struggles of elitists who are distanced from reality and the concerns of the real Egyptian people.”

He said the party will be concerned with “providing political, economic and practical programs attempting to improve the Egyptian citizen’s existence.”

The statement concluded by emphasizing that the party “will do its best to reclaim the rights, dignity and humanity of citizens” and that it will continue to fight all corrupt, dishonest criminals, whatever their position.